There You'll Be
by Xtina Jones
Summary: BenAbi story following NT2, but with a slightly different version of how they get back together.What happens next?Will Ben and Abi get a happy ending?Or will a mission gone wrong snatch away the life they always wanted?
1. Just a Nightmare

This is my first National Treasure/NT2 fic. I love both movies. I hope you enjoy this story, I've got quite a few chapters ready, so just make sure to review and I'll post as frequently as possible!

Oh,and I don't own either movie or Nicolas Cage...

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_The water was rushing into the chamber and it was rushing fast. He could hear it roaring around him as it quickly filled the room. It was cold but he didn't notice. He didn't notice his parents or Riley starting to panic. Right now, the only thing he could focus on was her. And how Wilkinson was holding a knife and it was dangerously close to her throat._

_He started begging with Wilkinson to leave her alone but he didn't seem to hear him. He swore up and down on everything that mattered to him that he would be the one to stay in the room to drown._

_The knife got closer. He started screaming. He tried to wade through the water but he couldn't move. Wilkinson brought the knife to her skin. He reached for her, he screamed her name, he looked into her eyes as Wilkinson pulled the knife across…_

Benjamin Franklin Gates woke with a start. He sat up in his bed and looked around frantically. His breathing was heavy. Where was he? What had just happened?

He turned to see Riley snoring soundly in the bed next to his and then he remembered: treasure, Mt. Rushmore, Abigail, hotel room…Abigail! Was she all right? Of course she was. It's almost 1 in the morning. It was just a nightmare.

Just a nightmare.

He ran his hand through his flowing hair and sighed. There was no way he was getting anymore sleep after that. He quietly slid out from his bed (not that Riley could hear him the way he was snoring), put on his boots, grabbed his jacket, and headed out of their hotel room.

The night air was cold, but it cleared his head and slowed down his racing heart. He wandered aimlessly around the hotel ground for a while, trying to clear the horrid image of Abigail from his mind.

As if just thinking of her made her appear, there she was, walking toward him on the same path. Her head was down and she had not seen him yet; she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts as well.

Just as in his dream, he couldn't move. He stood there waiting as she came closer and closer…

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I know this was pretty short, so is the next chapter. Leave a review with some good constructive criticism! thanks!


	2. Just Another Nightmare

Here's the second chapter. Sorry that it's short too. It's from Abigail's POV

Don't own it. (or Pearl Harbor)

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_She was fighting the current with all her strength, trying not to get swept away by the water rushing in from underneath the partially open stone door. Ben's parents had just surfaced after Riley and now they were all waiting._

_Waiting to see if he had some trick up his sleeve._

_Waiting to see if somehow the door would just stay open long enough for both of them to get through._

_Waiting to see who would burst from the depths of the water next._

_She didn't hear Riley shouting that they had to help him. She didn't see the looks of fear on the faces of his parents. Everything faded from her mind as she stayed there, the water rushing around her body, waiting to see him pop up from the water with that cocky grin on his face._

_She waited for what felt like hours. Finally, the stone wall began coming down and a head emerged from the water._

_It was Wilkinson…_

Abigail Chase woke gasping for breath. When she finally calmed down and wiped the tears stinging her eyes, she realized where she was. South Dakota.

She turned to the clock on her bedside table. The neon green numbers flashed 12:14. She sighed and sat up, swinging her feet over the edge of the bed. Sleep would be impossible for her now.

She wondered if he was ok. Why wouldn't he be? It was just a nightmare.

Just a nightmare.

She slipped her feet into her waiting boots and reached for her sweater before heading out into the cool night. She wasn't quite sure where she was going and she really didn't care. She just needed to get rid of the overwhelming feeling of pain that had invaded her heart at the thought of Ben dying.

She almost didn't see him standing in the middle of the path. Immediately her heart rate sped up again as she continued walking toward him…

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The next chapter's a little longer,don't worry! Let me know what you think so far


	3. A Lovely Encounter in the Woods at Night

Ok this chapter is much longer and stuff actually happens in it! So enjoy the BenAbi goodness and leave a nice review!

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She stopped a few feet away from him, her arms wrapped tightly around her. The moonlight made her golden hair shine eerily. They both stood there, staring each other down, until he couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Lovely time for a little stroll through the wilderness, huh?"

A small smile took shape on her face and he let go of a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"What brings you to this neck of the woods Mr. Gates?" she replied, taking a few steps forward.

"Bad dream, couldn't sleep," he stated.

"Me too," she whispered, looking down.

He motioned for them to sit down on a nearby rock.

"Care to share?" he asked.

She looked into his eyes after a few moments and he was surprised at what he saw in them. He could always find her feelings in her eyes, but his time there were so many different emotions swirling in them he wasn't sure which one to pick.

"Abi?" he whispered, "What happened? What's wrong?"

He found her hand and held it lightly in his.

Her eyes began to water and a stray tear ran down her cheek. He wiped it away instantly.

"You died," she choked out.

"What do you mean? I'm right here."

"In my dream. You died. We were on the other side of the wall, waiting. The water was still pouring in. You were supposed to somehow swim under and make it to the other side. But you didn't. Wilkinson did."

"Oh Abigail," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Everything's ok. It was just a dream, nothing more. I'm alive, and I don't plan on dying any time soon."

"I know," she said, sniffling. "But it was all so real, and this terrible feeling came over me and it wouldn't go away."

He pulled her closer and held her tighter, burying his head in her hair.

"I guess we both dreamt the same thing tonight," he said.

She looked up at him, surprised.

"You dreamt that you died?"

"No," he said, "I dreamt that you died."

He turned his head so that he wasn't looking at her anymore. He couldn't stop seeing the image from his dream.

"Ben?" he heard her whisper timidly, pleading for him to open up and tell her what happened.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to shake the image from his mind. When he opened them again she was staring at him intently, her hand tightly grasping his.

"It was Wilkinson. He slit your throat. With the knife. I couldn't stop him. I tried to tell him that I would be the one to stay, but he wouldn't listen. I tried to get to you but I couldn't move, and then he…"

His voice died off as he bowed his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block back his tears. It was just a dream so why was he getting go emotional over it?

"Look at me Ben," Abigail said.

He didn't raise his head.

"Ben, please," she said, squeezing his hand.

He gave in and looked back up at her, blinking back tears.

"Do you know how many times you could have died Abigail? It would have been my fault if anything had happened to you. What kind of man am I if I put someone I care about in danger?"

"You're a good man Ben. You tried to stop me from coming with you at Buckingham Palace, but I made the decision to join you. So really, it would have been my own fault for not listening to you if anything had happened."

"You shouldn't have come in the first place. Why did you anyways?"

"Well I can't let you have all the fun and take all the credit for finding treasure," she quipped.

He arched his eyebrow questioningly, knowing there was more behind her reason.

"Ok, fine, you win," she said, sighing.

She looked down at their hands that were still joined together and lightly ran her thumb over his strong, calloused hand.

"It's a stupid reason, really," she said, still not looking up at him. Her heart began to race and her palms got sweaty. She wasn't sure if she could make this confession to him. It would mean she regretted her past actions, which she did, but it would also mean admitting her weakness.

"Nothing's stupid if you really believe in it," he whispered, "You can tell me anything Abigail, I hope you still know that."

She gave him a small smile and looked up at him quickly.

"I missed you," she whispered.

She wasn't sure if he heard because he didn't say anything.

"I missed you," she repeated, louder this time, and she looked right into his blue eyes. She saw everything that she ever wanted shining in his eyes, and suddenly she was compelled to tell him everything she had been secretly wanting to admit for so long.

"I shouldn't have kicked you out," she began. "I regretted it almost instantly, especially when you looked at me with those damn eyes of yours. But I couldn't take it back because I was too stubborn to give in and just admit what I'd known all along. That first night without you was probably the worst night of my entire life. I was all alone in our bed with no one to hold me. That's when I realized how much I needed you and I felt like a complete idiot for getting rid of the one person who I cared about more than anything else. When you came over the next day to start getting your things, I almost told you that I changed my mind and that I was sorry, but then I saw the cold look in your eyes and I thought I'd screwed up for good. So when I found out about your newest treasure hunt, sure I was partly in it for the excitement, but really I needed an excuse to see you again."

"Why did you wait so long to tell m this?" Ben interrupted.

She paused for a moment before continuing, "I don't know. I had to be sure of what I really wanted. I guess I was afraid that I was too late and I kept putting it off. I almost never got the chance to tell you."

"Well I'm glad you did," he said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Me too," she replied. "I'm glad you didn't die," she added in a whisper.

"Me too," he whispered back, resting his forehead on hers.

Her heart was beating so wildly that she thought it would burst from her chest at any moment. Ben's deep blue eyes bore into hers and the intensity in his gaze was too much to handle. She closed her eyes and leaned further into him. She could feel his warm breath on her and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Abigail," he breathed.

Oh the way he said her name. Her eyes opened slowly as she locked gazes with him again.

"Ben," she whispered shakily.

He couldn't wait any longer. She was so close to him he could distinctly smell her perfume. He could feel her heart beating wildly against his own. Her blue eyes mesmerized him and couldn't look away. Her breathing was driving him wild. If he didn't kiss her right now he might lose his mind.

And so he did.

Their lips crashed together in an intense mix of passion and desperate need. Their hands were all over each other as they hungrily ravished each other's mouths.

About five minutes later they were somehow lying on the cool grass. Abigail was on top of him, her hair blowing lightly in the wind. She was breathing hard and so was he. She rolled off of him and settled next to him in the crook of his arm.

They lay there staring up at the starry night sky in comfortable silence.

"That was…interesting," he said, looking down at her.

A grin spread across her face and she laughed softly.

God he had missed that laugh so much. She looked up at him and wrapped her arm around his torso, turning her body toward him.

Their gazes remained locked until…

"I love you," she said, not breaking the gaze.

He froze and blinked stupidly up at her. He couldn't form a coherent sentence.

"What…you just…did you say…did I…"

She smiled.

"Would you like me to repeat it for you more slowly this time? Get something to write it down on. I, Abigail Chase, love you, Benjamin Gates."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do," she said laughing.

"Me too."

"You too?"

"I mean, I love you too. You don't know how much I love you Abi," he said, taking her into his arms.

"Show me," she whispered, a lopsided grin appearing on her face…

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ooooooooooo!


	4. Hotel Room

Thanks a bunch to everyone who reviewed! I'm posting at least 2 chapters tonight so enjoy! This one picks up right from the end of the previous chapter.

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He grinned stupidly back at her and then stood up abruptly.

"Ben…what are you…Ben!" she squealed as he lifted her and threw her fireman-style over his shoulder.

He chuckled as her shouts to put her down echoed through the forest.

"Where are you taking me?" she demanded when he paused to adjust her.

"Back to your room," he said, straightforward.

"I _can_ walk you know."

"But this is much more fun, don't you think?" he countered, smiling. He loved when she got annoyed at him but was secretly enjoying the whole thing.

"And what do you intend to do, Mr. Gates, when we arrive at my room?" she asked as they continued along the path.

"Well, Dr. Chase, I fully intend to 'show' you exactly how I feel, but I think it would be best if we had a bit of privacy, don't you agree?" he said, glancing at her over his shoulder.

Their eyes locked and he could feel his heart racing in anticipation.

"I do believe we have arrived at my room Mr. Gates," Abigail said, smirking.

He was startled from his thoughts.

Settling her carefully down in front of him, he said, "Indeed we have Dr. Chase."

Leaning in slowly, he kissed her lips softly.

He started to pull away but was suddenly pulled back forcefully by Abigail.

She was backed against the door of her room as Ben kissed her and tried to open the door. A few tries later he managed to get it open after letting out a few swear, which made her laugh.

Ben hoisted her into his arms, flung open the door, stepped into her room, kicked the door shut, and preceded quickly to her bed.

He lay her down gently and she finally took a moment to look up at him.

His arms were supporting him as he hovered above her. His hair was severely tousled, his shirt was wrinkled, and yet he looked incredibly sexy to her in that moment.

He smiled coyly down at her and she smiled shyly back.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" he asked, causing her to blush.

"Flattery won't get you any where with me Mr. Gates."

"Then, Dr. Chase, how did I end up in your bed?" Ben countered seductively as he leaned in.

She met him halfway as they shared the most passionate kiss of both their lives.

Hands began roaming and articles of clothing were quickly being discarded. Everything was happening so fast.

"Ben," she managed to moan out.

He lifted her head and paused his attack of her neck.

They were both breathing heavily, and a few moments later Ben spoke.

"Too fast."

She nodded. It amazed her how he somehow always knew exactly what she was thinking. He rolled off of her and she turned so that they were both on their sides facing each other.

"I want this Ben, believe me I really do," she said reassuringly. "It's just…I want to wait. I want it to be special. I want us to have something to look forward to on our wedding day. I don't think here and now is-"

"Right," he finished for her.

"Yeah," she sighed, smiling apologetically, "Sorry."

He cupped her face in his hand and spoke softly, "I completely agree with you Abigail. It may be incredibly difficult for me to hold back from such a beautiful woman, but, being the gentleman that I am, I respect your decision."

She kissed him soundly on the mouth.

"And that is why I love you."

"And that is why this will be extremely difficult for me."

She whacked him on the arm before slipping under the covers and snuggling into his chest. His arm wrapped around her comfortable and she was about to drift off when…

"So," he began, "when's our wedding?"

She tensed visibly in his arms and he chuckled to himself.

"Um…well…you see…must have been a slip of the tongue," she muttered haltingly, avoiding his eyes.

His smile widened. It was rare that he ever caught Abigail flustered and at a loss for words.

"It's just, the last time I checked, you kicked me out of the house, took half my furniture, and went on a date with another man. Do you see a potential for marriage in this situation?"

Abigail didn't say anything for a while and he was worried that his words had come off too harsh. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, even though the day she kicked him out was the most painful moment of his life…

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I bet you all thought they were gonna do it in the hotel room...sorry to disappoint! Instead I've left you with a nice semi-depressing cliffhanger! Review please! 


	5. Remembering That Night

Update Numero 2 of the night. Flashback of the break-up night from Ben and then Abigail's POV. Enjoy and review!

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He sat in his car in their dark garage with his head in his hands. It had been another long, bad day at work. Ben couldn't remember if there had been one good day for the past month. Every day he would be kept in late, bogged down by mundane, annoying things or, on some occasions, issues of more importance. Right now all he wanted was some sleep._

_Sighing, he got out of the car and quietly turned the doorknob, entering the house on tiptoe so he wouldn't wake Abigail._

_He made it through the front hall and was at the foot of the stairs when the lights were suddenly turned on._

_He froze, his foot in midair on its way to the first step. Looking up slowly, he was met with the infamous Abigail Chase death glare._

"_Where have you been?" she demanded._

_He cringed at the harsh tone of her voice. She was really pissed off tonight. Way to go Ben._

"_Work," he responded tiredly._

"_Again?" she said, a cold glare in her eyes._

"_Yes, unfortunately." He used as few words as possible, hoping not to anger her further and hoping to quickly end the confrontation._

"_Did you forget that we had plans tonight?"_

_Her hands were on her hips. That was not a good sign. She never did that. Only when she was really angry, and he had only seen that one other time. He closed his eyes tightly and sighed again. He had not forgotten they had plans tonight, but would it be worse to lie and say yes? Neither outcome was promising. In the end, honesty won._

"_No Abi, I did not forget. And before you say I never called, let me explain. I did try to call, but your phone kept ringing and was about to go to voicemail when my boss came storming in. Normally I would have ignored him, but we were in the middle of a crisis so I couldn't risk angering him even more."_

"_When are you going to quit that job Ben? You haven't been home at a decent time in weeks, and on weekends you always seem to get called in. I can't remember the last time you and I got to be alone together for more than an hour. I can't live like this Ben. I can't be second to your job."_

"_You know I can't quit my job Abi."_

_He watched her intently, waiting for her reaction. Instead of getting angrier, she seemed to become subdued and sad. This perplexed Ben and worried him slightly. What she said next took him by surprise._

"_I'm done Ben."_

_He was not expecting this._

"_I don't know you anymore. It's no one's fault. I guess things just changed."_

_He wanted to say something to change her mind, but no words would come out. Every word she said cut him like a knife._

"_I'm sorry, but I think you should move out," she finished softly._

"_What?" he managed to croak out. "You can't do this Abi."_

"_Don't make this harder than it has to be Ben," she pleaded._

_He looked at her more closely. He noticed that silent tears were running down her face. She was wearing his shirt. Her golden hair was wavy and soft. Her light blue eyes were brighter than ever because of the tears shining in them. He wondered how they had come to this point. Knowing it was useless to argue, he silently nodded at her and the began to walk away…_

_As Abigail watched Ben's retreating back, her tears came faster. She didn't think letting him go would be this hard._

_He turned back to her one last time and her heart leapt. Maybe he had decided to fight her and prove to her that they were worth it._

"_You can keep the house. And the furniture," he said dejectedly before continuing out the door he had just entered. _

_She stayed rooted in her place. Unable to hold her tears any longer, she fell to her knees sobbing. She wanted to run after him, but she heard his car screech down the driveway as though he couldn't get away fast enough._

_She slowly stood and made her way down the hall to their -her- bedroom. Instead of crawling in on her side, she walked around the bed and got in on Ben's side. Burying herself in his pillow she breathed in his distinct scent that always comforted her even if he wasn't there. That's why she had started wearing his shirts to bed recently: to make up for the absence of his warm body lying next to her._

_She lay in bed, unable to sleep. All she could think about was Ben. She felt horrible, but she had to do what she did, even if she had lied. Sure Ben's working hours were part of the problem, but the real reason she kicked him out was fear. That's right. Abigail Chase was afraid of something._

_She was afraid of commitment. Most of her previous relationships had never even come close to being as serious as her and Ben's was. Sure they had only been dating for 5 months, but they had been living together for 4, and had been "just friends" for a month before Ben had actually asked her out. What scared her even more was that, up until the beginning of this month, she had slowly coming to the realization that Ben was _the one. _No one had ever made her feel this way before. She hadn't voiced her feelings yet, but she knew this was love, and that terrified her._

_So, for some stupid reason, she decided that she couldn't go any further with this. There was no way Ben felt the same, and if he did, he was crazy. The unfortunate circumstances of the past few weeks had solidified her opinions and led her to make a firm decision. Once Abigail Chase decided something, she did not change her mind. She was finding that this fault of hers seemed to only cause her pain…_

And that was how Benjamin Gates and Abigail Chase ended up in their current situation…

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So...what did you think? let me know 


	6. Come Back Home

Hey everyone, sorry it took so long for the next update. I was in the middle of midterms at school which suck by the way...Luckily for you I am going to post 4 more chapters after this one so enjoy!

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Ben was broken from his thoughts when Abigail found her voice again.

"Will you come back home?" he heard her whisper quietly.

Brushing her hair from her face, he looked her in the eyes and said, "I'd thought you'd never ask."

She smiled at him with teary eyes and he pulled her to him in a tight embrace. She buried her head in his should and he rubbed her back comfortingly.

Suddenly, an idea came to his mind. He smiled, pleased with himself.

"Actually," he whispered into her ear, "I will only move back in on one condition."

She moved out of his embrace to look at him surprised.

"Well, what is it? Name your price."

"First," he said, as he got out of bed and began putting his clothes back on, "put on some clothes."

She looked at him as though he had lost his mind, but she started doing as she was told.

"Second, pack blankets, water, and food into this bag," he said as he made his way toward the door and tossed her bag, which she barely caught.

"Where are you going?"

"I will be right back," he said before slipping quickly out the door.

Abigail just rolled her eyes and did as she was told. Apparently the spontaneous Benjamin Franklin Gates had returned…

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Review! 


	7. A Proposal

Here's chapter 2 of my 5-chapter posting spree! Enjoy!

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After rummaging through his suitcase, Ben finally found what he had been looking for. Good thing he hadn't gotten rid of it 2 months ago and kept it with him at all times. Sure, that was a little weird, but he could never bring himself to completely move on from his hopes for the future.

On his way out he noticed that Riley had once again slept through his nighttime activities. Boy would his friend be surprised in the morning…

An hour later they had finally reached the top of Mt. Rushmore. The stars were still out and the sun had not yet begun to rise. The whole way there she had pestered Ben with questions, trying to figure out what he was up to, but he would not answer a single thing. Finally giving up, she slipped her hand into his and they walked up the rest of the trail in comfortable silence.

"The view is amazing up here," Ben said.

"Yeah," she replied, speechless at the sight before her. Everything was so beautiful in the faint moonlight.

Ben left her to her stargazing and her thoughts as he pulled out the 2 blankets from her bag. She watched curiously as he carefully laid one out and kept the other folded.

"Are you ever going to tell me what possessed you to bring me up here?" she asked for the hundredth time.

"Well apparently I don't really need a reason because you came anyway."

She rolled her eyes in frustration and turned back to the night sky and the expansive valley before her.

A few moments later Ben came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He settled his chin on her should and she leaned into his embrace. They stood there for a while enjoying each other and the beauty of nature.

"The sunrise will start soon," she said, yawning. She hadn't realized how tired she was or how long they had been up for. In her tiredness she had almost forgotten about Ben's mystery condition.

Almost.

She looked up at him to find him staring down at her. Her heart immediately started to race at the intensity of his gaze and the closeness of his body.

"You probably want to know why I brought you up here," he said smiling.

"The suspense has been killing me."

"Well," he began, releasing her from his grasp and turning her to him, "I wanted to offer you a proposal."

"You brought me all the way to the top of this mountain to offer me a proposal?"

"Yes," he said, smiling nervously.

"Exactly what kind of proposal?"

"This kind," Ben said shakily, getting down on one knee.

Her heart stopped. She had not seen this coming at all. If this was what she thought it was. Did she want this if it was what she thought it was? She watched anxiously as Ben's hand went to his pocket and he pulled out a worn little black box. She couldn't believe this. She could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes. Her heart was racing wildly in anticipation.

Ben opened the box slowly. She didn't even look in it; her eyes were focused only on his. In this moment she felt like they were the only two people in the world. Ben's eyes bore into hers and for the first time she felt as though they had both opened their souls for the other one to see.

After what felt like an eternity, Ben finally spoke. His voice was shaky and laced with so much emotion that it cracked several times.

"Abigail Marie Chase, you are the most amazing, beautiful, smart, funny, talented, determined, adventurous, stubborn (she smiled at this) woman I have ever met. When we first met, you probably thought I was mental, but I had this instinctive feeling that you were something special. Whenever I'm with you, I feel complete. I feel like nothing could ever happen that would bring me down as long as I have you by my side. I've never felt this way before, which is why I know that you are the one. You're it for me Abi. There is no one else out there in the world that could ever replace you. I'm pretty sure no one else would follow me on two treasure hunts and risk their lives. And, as corny as this sounds, I never need to go on another treasure hunt now that I've found you. You're all I need. You're all I want. I'd give my life for you. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

The whole time Ben spoke her tears kept coming. She had waited her entire life for a man to tell her all that Ben was saying, and it made her heart swell. She could not picture anyone else but her Ben saying these words to her, and she could not picture herself ever being with anyone but him for the rest of her life.

When he finished, they were both crying. The moment he spoke his last sentence, she flung herself into his waiting arms. She held on to him tightly until he spoke again.

"Is that a yes Abi?"

She lifted her head from his shoulder and took his face in her hands.

"A thousand times yes Benjamin Franklin Gates!" she cried joyfully before planting her lips firmly on his…

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Yay!!!! I promise this story has more to it then just BenAbi fluffy goodness (not that you could ever have too much of that). Pretty soon you'll be wishing the plotless fluff would return... 


	8. The Morning After

Sorry this is so short...I meant to add it on to the end of the previous chapter but I forgot...oh well! enjoy the little filler

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A few hours later Ben woke to the sounds of what seemed like every bird in the forest. Groaning, he rolled over so that the first rays of morning light were no longer shining in his eyes. His arm collided with something, or, rather, someone. Blinking his eyes open, he took in the magnificent sight before him.

There lay Abigail, her hair falling over her face and her arm still draped across his chest. He broke into a smile when the sun caught he sparkling diamond ring now on her left hand.

Last night had been the greatest night of his life. He still couldn't believe she had said yes. Tucking her hair behind her ear gently so he wouldn't wake her, he wrapped his arm protectively around her waist. His smile widened when she subconsciously tightened her arm around his waist and shifted closer to his body.

Happy and content, Ben drifted back to sleep…


	9. Going to Meet the Parents

Alright this is a real chapter unlike the previous one. And there is actually some semblance of plot!

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A week later Abigail was on a plane bound for Pennsylvania. As the plane landed and cruised down the tarmac to the gate, she started getting nervous. It wasn't that she was on bad terms with her family; she just hadn't seen them in over a year. And now here she was bringing home a man none of them had met, the man she was engaged to.

A small smile crept over her face as she turned to Ben who was asleep in the seat beside her. Surprisingly it was Ben who had suggested, and then insisted, that they go see her family.

The pilot's voice came over the speakers announcing that they had arrived and would be let off the plane momentarily. In no rush to get off, she squeezed Ben's hand and gently shook him awake.

"Ben, honey, we're here," she whispered into his ear.

"I'm awake!" he proclaimed, springing from his seat.

She laughed when he hit his head on the overhead compartment.

"Ow," he said, sitting back down slowly.

"Next time, be more careful," she said smiling as she patted him on the shoulder and then got her bag before heading off the plane with Ben in tow…

The drive to Abigail's parents' house was unusually quiet. Ben watched out of the corner of his eye as Abigail stared out the window, her head leaning on the glass.

He was starting to get worried.

"You know," he began, glancing over at her, "we don't have to do this. I just thought we probably should…"

"I'm fine," she said, giving him a smile he saw right through.

Making sure he wasn't going to hit anything, he abruptly pulled over and stopped the car. He sat there staring at her, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Well, are you going to tell me what's wrong, or will I have to pry it out of you?"

She sighed, and he knew he had won…

"I'm just nervous," she finally admitted.

Ben chuckled.

"What?" she said, arching her eyebrow.

"You don't think _I'm_ nervous?"

She had never considered how Ben felt about this trip. He had suggested it in the first place so-

"You just assumed since I came up with the idea that I was 100 ok with it?"

Abigail bowed her head in shame.

"Abi," he said, turning to her and taking her hand in his, "to be completely honest with you, I'm terrified."

She burst out laughing and flung her arms around him.

"What a pair we make!" she exclaimed.

He smiled at her; glad he had managed to make her happy again.

"What are you so afraid of?" she asked, curious to know the answer.

"Where should I begin?" Ben said, stroking his chin as though deep in thought.

"First off, I've never met any of your relatives, so unless they know of the treasure, they won't know who I am at all. Secondly, I'm afraid of how your parents will react to out relationship. The first time they're meeting me is when they will find out I'm marrying their precious daughter. And finally, I'm afraid of your father."

"Why?" she interrupted.

"Because," Ben began before taking a deep breath and continuing, "I have to uphold the noble tradition of asking for his permission to marry you, even though we're already engaged, which means I must somehow convince him in the short time that we are here that I am worthy enough for you."

Ben's words warmed her heart and made her realize how lucky she was to be with him.

"Well, if you go around talking like that and being all gentlemanly-like, which by the way you are very good at, you should have no problem. Just be yourself Ben. If my parents can't see how much you love and respect me and how much you care about me, then I don't care if they give us their blessing."

"But I care Abigail. I don't want your family to hate me. I want our kids to be able to visit their grandparents. I know it's a small thing, but I want to do this right."

She just stared at him with a glazed look in her eyes like she had gone off to some other world in the middle of his sentence.

"Abigail? Abigail. Abigail! Hello! Come back to Earth please," he said, waving his hand in front of her face.

Blinking, she finally snapped out of it. Whatever it was.

"Sorry," she said, shaking her head slightly.

"What was that about?" he questioned.

"Kids," she replied dazedly.

"What about kids?" he probed, confused.

"You said kids."

"Yes…and…"

"_Our_ kids, as in you and me."

"Whom else would I be referring to?"

"No one, it's just…I don't know…" she trailed off.

"Do you not want kids?" he asked nervously.

"No! Of course I want kids," she said, taking his hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

"Phew! Ok, good. That's good. I was worried for a second there," he said, smiling.

"I just never really thought about before, and this is the first time we've talked about it, well, first time you've mentioned it. It's something I've always wanted, and now that I've found the person I want to have a family with…it just kind of hit me all at once," she finished.

Ben flashed her a smile before lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it softly.

"I can't wait to start a family with you," he whispered, looking deep into her eyes.

She blushed and smiled shyly back at him.

Settling their entwined hands on his thigh, Ben then peeled back out onto the road as they headed toward Abigail's home…

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Aww that was cute wasn't it? What happens when Ben gets to meet the parents?? Leave some nice reviews and you'll find out! 


	10. Meeting the Parents

Here is the final chapter of tonight's posting spree. I'll try my best to put up one or two more chapters tomorrow, but it'll have to be after the Pats beat the Chargers.

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As Ben and Abigail walked up the steps to the front door, Ben suddenly paused and dropped Abigail's hand.

"Ben?" she questioned, turning back to him.

"How are we going to tell them? When are we going to tell them? What should I do?"

She smiled at his nervousness. When she had brought other guys home to meet her parents, none of them had cared as much as Ben, or worried as much.

"Don't worry. I have a plan," she said, taking his hand and pulling him forward.

"And when were you going to inform me of this plan?"

"Right now," she said, as they stood in front of the door.

"We will act as we always act around each other. I will introduce you as my boyfriend. Many questions from my mother will follow. Answer all of them honestly. Following dinner, we will have a serious conversation in which we tell them the full truth. My father will then corner you when you are alone and least expect it. You're on your own at that point," she spoke hurriedly before ringing the doorbell.

Ben barely had a moment to process everything she just said and to prepare himself before the door opened…

Abigail's parents had taken the news of their relationship quite well. Abigail's mother Helena, a kindly woman whose appearance to her daughter was almost identical, had asked the usual questions. When and how did they meet (that was a long story), how long had they been together (that story got interesting when they brought up their temporary break up and the events leading to their subsequent reunion), and, finally, why had they waited so long to tell her (this one was all Abigail's).

Ben wasn't so sure about Christopher, referred to as Christoph by Helena, Chase's take on the whole thing.

When introduced, he had shaken Ben's hand heartily, gave him a good look in the eye, and stated, "You're that treasure man."

Summing up all the courage he had, Ben made sure his handshake was just as strong, his eyes unwavering, and proudly stated in reply, "Yes I am."

Immediately he could see that Abigail had her father's personality. He was straightforward and scrutinizing, quiet but always watching you, observing and analyzing your every move. He had remained silent throughout the entire questioning process, something that surprised Ben considering how Abigail had interrogated him upon their second meeting when they still barely knew each other.

By dinnertime it was clear to Ben that Abigail had a strong relationship with her parents. Being the youngest in the family, and the only girl, he could see how her parents had probably spoiled her rotten when she was a child while maintaining the usual over protectiveness expected to be given the "baby" of the family.

The only thing that had troubled him was when after dinner, the dropping of the big bombshell impending, Ben overheard Abigail and her father talking in the kitchen. He couldn't understand a word of what they were saying for it was all in German, but the tone of their voices sounded argumentative. Abigail seemed to be on the defensive, while her father sounded like he was angrily questioning her.

He was able to catch the last bit of their conversation as they reentered the dining room.

"I'm not blind or stupid Abigail. What are you doing with this man? You've changed Abi. I'm worried."

"Just give him a chance father. Please. Trust me. You'll see soon."

Soon. Ben did not like the thought of what they were about to do. Grasping Abigail's hand when she returned to the table, he looked at her with anxious eyes. He could see that she tried to offer a reassuring smile, but she was beginning to waver as well.

Then, by some miracle of God, the doorbell rang…

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Suspense! Who is at the door...and what will happen next??? Leave a review and find out. Or don't leave one and you'll find out anyway but you'll feel bad about yourself 


	11. The Gang's All Here

Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Because of them I am feeling nice and posting a chapter before the Pats game instead of after... This one is actually pretty long so enjoy!

Btw nice guessing, but it's not Riley at the door...

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Ben had never known what it was like to have a family beyond a mother, father, and an only child. He soon found out that he rather liked the commotion family get-togethers brought.

By chance, or possibly coincidence, he really didn't know, Abigail's two older brothers decided to show up with their wives and kids in tow.

Ben had never seen so many blonde-haired, blue-eyes people in one place.

After the initial hugs of greeting were given to Abigail, just as surprised as he by this impromptu visit, Ben got to make the rounds of introductions himself. There was Karl, the oldest brother, with his wife Julia and their three kids Otto, Lea, and Sascha. Then there was Kurt and his wife Carla. They had one son, Leo, whom Ben got along with very well immediately.

Their original plans for the night scrapped; Ben decided to take the opportunity to get to know Abigail's family and to enjoy the unknown territory of brothers, sister-in-laws, and nieces and nephews.

The Chase clan plus Ben all moved into the living room where there was more space and more seating. Originally settled in the middle of things so he could talk to and observe all the Chases at once, a little while later Ben found himself sitting in an armchair at one end of the room.

He could see Abigail picking her way through the room with little Leo holding her hand and trailing behind her. His smile widened as they approached.

"I told Leo that we went on a treasure hunt. He wants to her all about it," she said, urging Leo forward.

"Auntie Abi said I hafta ask you 'cause you are da best story teller," he said shyly, staring down at his feet.

"Well," Ben said, scooping up Leo and settling him on his lap, "Auntie Abi is right. It's a long story though. Do you think a young man like yourself will be able to sit through the whole thing?"

"I'm a big boy. I can hear the whole thing," Leo stated proudly, straightening up in Ben's lap to make himself taller.

"Ok then," Ben said, "I believe you. The story starts a very long time ago-"

"How long ago?" Leo interrupted.

"If you let me finish my sentence, you'll hear all the details," Ben said admonishingly.

"Sorry Uncle Ben," Leo said, looking up at him with expectant eyes and a tightly shut mouth.

Ben smiled at the boy's accidental use of the word 'uncle.' Hopefully one day soon he would be just that…

Abigail smiled to herself as she looked across the room to the corner where Ben was sitting. He was surrounded by all of her nieces and nephews who were sitting on the floor. Leo, her favorite, was curled up in Ben's lap, his head resting on Ben's chest.

She watched amused as Ben animatedly told of all their "adventures" and the kids listened intently with amazement. Every now and then they would be unable to contain their excitement, and one of them would say something like, "Did that really happen?" or "Did you stop the bad guys?" or, her personal favorite, "Do you always know the right answer Uncle Ben?"

The fact that her nieces and nephews were already referring to Ben as their uncle made her heart soar. The kids had never taken to any one else as fast as they had with Ben. She was glad they had shown up because she got to see a whole new side of Ben. The way things looked, he would make a great father some day.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized she had zones out of the "adult's" conversation, and her brother Kurt was waving his hand in her face.

"Hey, Abi, we're over here," he said.

Thoroughly embarrassed that she was caught daydreaming, she blushed and turned back to the circle of the elder Chase family members.

"Why are you all staring at me?" she asked, extremely confused when she rejoined the conversation only to find all eyes trained on her.

Her sister-in-laws wore knowing looks on their faces, and her brothers just shook their heads grinning.

"What is it?" she asked again, exasperated.

"It's quite obvious," her oldest brother Karl stated, a grin on his face.

"What's obvious?" she asked, annoyed now.

"I think what Karl is hinting at," began Julia.

"Is that someone has it real bad," finished Clara.

"Don't even try to deny it Abi," Kurt said, staring her down.

"Deny what?"

"Your feelings for Ben, dear," her mother said, rolling her eyes as she reentered the room with a tray of coffee and tea from the kitchen.

"Mother!" Abigail exclaimed, shocked that she would be so forward about discussing her relationship with Ben.

"Don't 'Mother!' me, Abigail," Helena Chase said. "We all see the way you look at him. Even your father can tell, as much as he wishes he didn't notice."

Abigail blushed severely and then glanced over at Ben who was totally unaware of the torture her family was putting her through.

As though sensing her eyes on him, Ben looked up from his audience and flashed her a quick smile before continuing his story. She smiled back, and then slowly turned to face her family once again.

Sighing, she threw her hands up in defeat.

"Ok, ok. You're all right. I can't deny it and I won't deny it," she said.

"It's about time Abi," Kurt said.

"Yeah, congratulations," Karl said, patting her on the back.

"Cut it out you two blockheads," she said, swatting them both on the head.

"When's the wedding?"

"Kurt! That's enough," her father said sternly.

Abigail laughed uneasily. Her brother had just set up the perfect moment for her to break the news. Hoping Ben wouldn't mind, she took a deep breath before dropping the big one.

"Well…actually…we're engaged," she said quietly, looking down at her hands.

A collective gasp followed, and then silence.

All the kids turned to the adults, wondering what was going on.

Ben, his story interrupted, looked over to the group of adults. Seeing the looks of shock on their faces and the look of apprehension on Abigail's face, he realized what she had just done. Unsure of what to do with himself, he sat there holding Leo who had fallen asleep a few moments ago.

Slowly, Abigail looked up, afraid to meet anyone's eyes.

Finally, the silence was broken.

"What did you just say?" her father asked.

"We're engaged. Ben and I are engaged," she repeated.

"Is this true?" her father said, getting up and turning toward Ben.

Uh-oh. Not good, she thought to herself. Ben hates confrontation and look what I've gotten him into…

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Uh-oh...stay tuned for what happens next!


	12. The Reaction

Thanks for all the great reviews everyone. Now that the Patriots defeated the Chargers I will be able to post a few more chapters!

* * *

Surprising himself, Ben managed to speak with a calm, level voice.

"It is completely true Mr. Chase," he responded.

Everyone waited to see what Christopher Chase would do next. Even Leo had woken up when he sensed something important was going on.

Without a word, Christopher turned and walked out of the room. A few moments later, the front door slammed behind him.

Stunned, everyone sat in silence.

Abigail put her head in her hands.

Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath, knowing things had only just begun…

"Uncle Ben?" Leo's small voice brought Ben crashing back to reality.

"Yes Leo?"

"Are you ok?"

Ben smiled down at him.

"I will be, don't you worry."

"Why did grandpa get so angry?"

This kid asked tough questions…

"Well," Ben began, "he's upset that Auntie Abi and I kept a secret from him."

"What was the secret?"

…and they just kept coming.

Repositioning Leo so he could look him in the eyes, he told him: "You're Auntie Abi and I are getting married."

"I thought you already were married," Leo said, a confused expression on his little face.

"We haven't been officially married in a wedding yet, we just made a promise to each other that very soon we will."

"Oh," Leo said, still confused but pretending to understand.

Ben hadn't been watching what was going on in the other side of the room, so when he saw Abigail get up abruptly and head for upstairs, he stood up, placed Leo in the chair carefully, and followed her…

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More drama! Sorry this was a semi-short chapter but i've got lots more coming your way! 


	13. Having Doubts

Enjoy some angsty/cute BenAbi goodness because who doesn't love that?

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He found her staring out the window of what must have been her old room. Pictures of historic sites in Germany and other countries hung on the walls. Walking over to her in the dark, he placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. Seeming not to be startled, but also apparently not wanting to acknowledge his presence, she continued to stare out the window.

"Abi? What's wrong?"

Still no response.

He let his hand fall along her arm until he reached her hand hanging by her side.

"Abigail, look at me," he said, desperation evident in his voice.

A few moments passed and she still would not speak. Giving up, he sighed and began to turn away.

Suddenly she grabbed his arm and spoke.

"Don't go," she whispered.

He turned back to her, and she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. Content to just hold her if that was what she needed, he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer.

"Promise you won't ever walk out like that," she whispered into his chest.

Lifting his arm so that he could touch her face, he tilted her chin so that she was looking directly into his eyes.

"I'll never leave you Abigail. That's a promise I won't ever break," he whispered tenderly.

Gently wiping away the tear streaks on her face with his thumb, he kissed her softly on the head.

"Don't cry," he whispered, his hand cupping the side of her face, "I hate it when you cry."

"Why?" she whispered, her voice still rough from her tears.

"Because you're such a strong person, so when you cry that means you're really sad or upset, and if you're hurting, I hurt. I get mad at myself when I see you cry because it means I let someone or something hurt you. It's my job to take care of you."

"And what are you doing right now?"

"Trying to make you happy again."

"I'd call that taking care of me," Abigail said, leaning toward him.

"Am I doing a good job?" he asked, moving closer so that their faces were nearly touching.

"You could do a little better," Abigail said, staring into his eyes.

"Maybe this will help," he said before slowly leaning in to capture her lips in a soft but meaningful kiss…

She closed her eyes and leaned into Ben's body. He pulled away much too soon for her liking, so she stood on tiptoe so she could reach his lips again.

This time their kiss was more passionate. Neither one of them was aware of what they were doing, and suddenly they found themselves falling onto her bed.

"We seem to be ending up in the same bed more frequently as of late Dr. Chase," Ben whispered playfully into her ear.

"Are you complaining Mr. Gates?"

"Oh no, quite the opposite. I rather like the recent increase in this occurrence."

"And just think, we have the rest of our lives to enjoy it," she said, smiling.

"I can't wait," he replied happily.

Opting to not pursue any activities they didn't want to be caught doing, Ben and Abigail decided to lie together on her bed and just talk. At first, they were talking about nothing of great importance. After a while the conversation started to turn to the present issue at hand…

"What are we going to do about your father?" Ben asked, a bit afraid to bring up the subject but knowing sooner was better than later.

She didn't answer right away, and he was afraid she had returned to not speaking and just ignoring the issue. Thankfully she sighed, a sign that she was giving in and willing to open up.

"I wasn't expecting his reaction to be so…harsh. I figured he would just be surprised and probably a bit confused like everyone else. I guess I should have known better," she said, turning onto her side so she was now facing him.

Absentmindedly playing with the curls in her hair, he decided to contribute his thoughts.

"Maybe…maybe he's upset. Because you're his precious baby girl-" he was interrupted by Abigail whacking him on the chest for that comment.

"I'm serious Abi," he said, looking down at her.

"Sorry," she replied, smiling apologetically, "Go on."

Faltering in his speech, he went on to reveal his deepest concerns.

"Maybe he wanted things to play out a little differently. Maybe he had an idea in his head of how he envisioned your future would turn out. Maybe I'm not the man he was expecting you to end up with. Maybe," he paused, looking up at the ceiling, "Maybe he's right, and I'm not good enough for you," he finished quietly…

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Poor Ben... :( Don't worry I am posting the next chapter. I think you'll like it 


	14. 20 Questions

What's Abigail going to do to make Ben feel good about himself? Read and find out!

* * *

Ben's last words were spoken so quietly she almost couldn't hear them. But she did, and she couldn't believe what she had heard.

Stunned, she sat up and looked down at Ben who was lying there with his arms folded behind his head and a look of insecurity on his face. This was a new emotion for her to see on Ben, and as much as she was glad he was sharing his thoughts with her, it pained her that he doubted himself.

"Benjamin Franklin Gates," she said sternly, crossing her arms and taking up her trademark glare of intensity, "How could you ever think or say such a thing about yourself?"

"Because it's true," Ben said dejectedly before rolling over to face the wall.

Frustrated by his behavior, she grabbed his arm and turned him back over.

"Don't turn your back on me Benjamin Gates."

He said nothing in reply and just laid there, his arms now crossed similarly to hers.

"That is the most absurd idea you have ever had in that stubborn mind of yours. It is also completely incorrect," she said, finishing off with a confirming nod.

Still he did not speak, and she found herself locked in a battle of wills. What did she have to do to make him see how wrong he was? She racked her brain while their ridiculous staring contest continued. Finally, an idea came to her.

Not breaking eye contact, she proposed her idea.

"We're going to play a game."

He arched his eyebrow at her questioningly.

"I ask questions, and you answer them, got it?"

He nodded.

"We'll start with an easy one. What is your name?"

"Benjamin Franklin Gates," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Very good. Next question. Who was telling a captivating story to my nieces and nephews tonight?"

"Me?" he said, a confused look on his face.

"Right again! Question 3: Whose idea was it to come out here and see my family?"

"Mine," he said.

"Correct! You're 3 for 3. Now they're going to get a bit tough. Who was willing to sacrifice himself so that his parents, best friend, and momentarily-ex-girlfriend could live?"

"Not Wilkinson."

"Then who was it?"

"Me," he said, rolling his eyes and clearly still unaware of where she was going with this game.

"Who was willing to give up both Boston Tea Tables just so he could look at an old diary page?"

"Me," he replied instantly, a small smile forming on his face.

"Who let me live with him in his mansion?"

"Me."

The questions were coming to her quickly now.

"Who made sure I had no mark on my record for assisting you in your first illegal activities?"

"Oh…I don't know…me?"

She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm and continued.

"Who did I trust enough to let him drop me off a giant, swinging, wooden platform so that he could save the Declaration?"

"Me," he said, his smile growing.

"Now for the toughest ones."

"I think I'm ready."

Looking deep into his blue eyes, she said, "Who knows me better than anyone else?"

"Me," he said, smiling softly up at her as he unfolded his arms to reach for her hand.

She took his hand and squeezed it gently before asking her next question.

"Who will always be there to protect me and take care of me even if I pretend I don't need it?"

"Me," he replied once again, reaching his free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

She smiled down at him. Before she asked her final question, her eyes began to water.

"Who do I love more than anything in the entire world, more than treasure, more than history, more than life itself? Who do I know, without a doubt, loves me the same way in return?" she choked out, her voice full of emotion.

Ben sat up and she noticed that tears were in his eyes as well.

Without warning, he threw his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. Her arms snaked around his back and held him tightly.

"Me," he murmured into her hair, "_I_ love _you_ more than treasure, more than history, more than life itself. I'd do anything for you Abi. Even if it was impossible, I'd still try."

"I know," she sniffled, "and that's why I love you. That's why _you_ are the man I chose to spend the rest of my life with. My father doesn't know all the things you've done, so we have to tell him. If I have to make a list of all the reasons why I'm marrying you, then I will. It will be quite long though," she said, smiling up at him through teary eyes.

He smiled back at her and softly kissed her.

"Be sure to include my genius and dashing good looks on your list."

She laughed, glad that he was happy again and back to his over confident self.

"How could I forget that? Those are my top 2 reasons for becoming the wife of ladies man Benjamin Franklin Gates."

"Hmmm…wife. I like the sound of that," he said, his breath tickling her neck.

"So do I," she yawned.

Adjusting Abigail in his arms, Ben lay down so that his future wife could get some much-needed rest.

"Is it the future Mrs. Gates' bed time?" he asked jokingly.

"Mhm," he heard her mumble before she settled her head comfortably on his chest and instantly fell asleep…

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Wasn't that just so sweet? Leave a review to let me know what you thought of it!


	15. Helena Chase

Alright, this chapter is from Abigail's mother's POV to mix things up a bit, and the next one will be from the father's POV

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Helena Chase quietly climbed the stairs, carefully avoiding the steps she knew would creak. The house was quiet again now that her children and grandchildren had all headed back home.

No one had wanted to bother Abigail and Ben after the disastrous result of their big announcement. The shock had worn off for her, but since her husband had yet to return home, she knew it would be a while before he accepted Abigail's actions.

Helena was not surprised by what her only daughter had done. Abigail had tendency to be impulsive and act or speak without thinking first. She also knew what she wanted, and once she made a decision, she rarely changed her mind.

That's why she feared the impending battle between Abigail and her father. The two of them were both so stubborn and determined that she doubted either of them would budge on the issue at hand.

Halfway down the hall now, she paused to listen for any sounds indicating that she might be interrupting Abigail and Ben. She heard nothing and continued walking slowly on.

She wasn't quite sure what to think of Benjamin Gates. He seemed like a nice man. She trusted Abigail's judgment, but it was a bit difficult for her to welcome the man into her family when she had only met him a few hours ago.

Once again, she paused, but this time in the doorway of her daughter's room. Looking in, what she saw removed all her doubts about the man her daughter was going to be spending the rest of her life with.

Abigail's head was on Ben's chest, rising and falling with each of his breaths. Her arm was wrapped tightly around him as though he were her lifeline. Ben's arms were also holding Abigail in a secure embrace, protectively positioned like he was guarding the most precious treasure. Both of them had peaceful, content expressions on their faces.

Helena smiled to herself, wishing she had a camera to capture this moment. She now saw what Abigail must have seen in Ben, and now she understood why he was the perfect man for her daughter.

If only her husband could see…

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I know this was kinda short, but I want to get both parents' thoughts in. Let me know what you thought of this chapter 


	16. Christopher Chase

Ok here's the dad's POV...I'm not so sure if I like how this chapter turned out but oh well. Read it anyway

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Christopher Chase arrived back home very late that night. All the lights were out and everyone was asleep when he quietly crept back in through the front door that his wife had left unlocked.

Slipping his boots off, he headed into the kitchen for a glass of water. He sat in the dark at the table sipping slowly from his glass as he reflected on today's events.

The visit from Abigail had been a welcome surprise, for he had not seen his daughter in quite some time. But he had not been expecting her to come home with a man. A man he had never met before, and whom he later found out was to be his son-in-law.

Now that his initial anger and shock had passed, he could admit that he had not taken the news very well. He had ended up storming out of the house and driving to the top of a nearby hill where he used to take Abigail and her brothers when they were young. They had done everything from hiking to sledding to stargazing on that hill, and even took his grandchildren there on occasion now.

He sat on the hill by himself for a long time, reflecting and thinking.

Although he didn't play favorites with his children, he had always had a soft spot for Abigail. She was his baby girl and he still saw her that way.

He was startled from his thoughts when he heard what sounded like someone coming downstairs. Who would be up this late? He looked up from his half-empty glass to see Benjamin Gates standing in the doorway.

He had to hold back a laugh at the expression on the young man's face. Benjamin was frozen in the doorway, his eyes wide and full of fear. His mouth was slightly open as though he was going to say something but then changed his mind.

"Don't stand there like a fool. Either come sit or go back upstairs," he said.

Benjamin shut his mouth and took a few tentative steps into the kitchen.

Christopher looked back at his glass and smiled to himself. He had done a real number on this boy.

"Uh, how are you sir?" Benjamin said nervously as he sat down across from Christopher.

"No need to call me 'sir,' Benjamin. Christopher is fine," he said, looking up briefly.

"Ok Christopher. You can call me Ben."

Christopher lifted his eyes once again, but this time they did not return to his glass. Instead he found himself staring into he defiant, determined eyes of the man who intended to marry his daughter.

Both men sat there, sizing up the other and planning their next move.

"So, how'd you end up in the treasure hunting business Ben?"

"It's something I was born into."

"A family business?"

"Sort of, but more like a quest-to-benefit-all-mankind business."

"How so?"

"Well, you see s-Christopher, it all started centuries ago…" Ben began, and suddenly Christopher Chase found himself reliving history right up until a week ago when his daughter helped Ben find a long-lost Native American treasure…

"…and so really, I'm more like a treasure protector," Ben finished.

It was now very early in the morning, and Ben wasn't quite sure what had prompted him to go into the full-length story of his life searching for treasure.

For the most part, Christopher had remained quiet, but every now and then he would ask questions or make a comment that showed he was paying close attention.

So now Ben sat there, waiting for him to say something.

"I'd say you're something much greater than a treasure protector son," Christopher said as he leaned back in his chair.

Did he hear correctly? Ben tried to conceal his surprise at the words that had just come out of Christopher Chase's mouth, but apparently he didn't do a good enough job.

"That's right, I said 'son.' Don't get all excited. You're going to have to do a lot more than tell me stories to gain my full respect, but you are well on your way there Benjamin Gates. I underestimated you, I'll admit that. Usually I'm a good judge of character, but my temper and stubbornness got in my way this time. Abigail's lucky to have found a man like you. I'd be proud to have you as my son-in-law," Christopher said she he stood up from the table and patted Ben on the shoulder.

"Th-Thank you," Ben managed to stammer.

Christopher just smiled down at him.

"Goodnight Ben," he said, before leaving the kitchen and disappearing upstairs.

Ben sat there, stunned by what had just happened. He sat in the kitchen for a few more minutes, trying to process everything, and then he dashed upstairs as quickly and quietly as possible to tell Abigail…

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What did you think of the Ben-Mr. Chase interaction? I've got one more chapter that directly follows the current events of the story and then the next one skips ahead in time so I may not post it up until I have more to follow it. 


	17. Good News

I'm sorry this chapter is short and not much happens in it, but I needed to wrap up the current plotline so I can move on to the next one. Enjoy the BenAbi fluff that wraps up my posts for the day...

* * *

Ben burst into the room to find Abigail sitting up in bed and looking worried.

"Where did you go?" she asked as she rushed forward to meet him halfway, "I woke up, and you weren't there, and the bed was cold, and I thought-"

He interrupted her with a kiss, and then he picked her up and spun in a circle laughing happily.

When he placed her down, she looked at him as though he had really lost his mind this time around.

"What in the world was that about?"

"Your father," he replied, grinning.

"My father?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion and worry.

"Yes! I woke up, and I was thirsty, so I went downstairs to get a drink, and your father was sitting in the kitchen. He told me to sit down or leave, so I sat. Then he asked me about treasure hunting, and I told him the whole story, and at the end of it, he called me son! Then he said that you were lucky, and he'd be proud, and he left and I came up here to tell you that-"

"Woah, woah! Slow down honey. I didn't get any of that bit at the end," Abigail said, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders to calm him down.

"Sorry," he said, grinning sheepishly, "I just got so excited."

"I can tell. So what did my father say?"

"He's ok with us getting married!" he said, taking Abigail's hands in his.

He laughed at her reaction to his words. Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, much like his had, and she just stared at him as though she had heard incorrectly.

"He…he said what?" she whispered.

"He said that you were lucky to find a man like me, and he'd be proud to have me as a son-in-law!"

He saw tears of happiness spring up in Abigail's eyes as he leaned forward to kiss her on the head.

"We're getting married," he whispered.

"We're getting married," Abigail repeated, to convince herself that this was real.

"We're getting married!" she said again, laughing as she threw her arms around him and kissed him.

In that moment, Ben knew that everything was going to be all right…

* * *

For now…haha sorry I just had to put that in there...but seriously, after the next chapter things take a more serious turn and I actually won't be posting in ridiculous amounts because I need to think about what I'm writing. Leave me some nice reviews and maybe I'll post the next chapter sooner... 


	18. Go Get 'Em Tiger!

I know I said i was done posting, but I felt bad for withholding chapters from all of you...So here's my official last post of the day. It jumps ahead in time and is kind of in media res. Enjoy the long-awaited appearance of Riley and the positivity of this chapter because thing's are about to change...

Also, just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to all my reviewers, without you guys I probably wouldn't feel motivated to update as often. I'd also like to give a special shout-out to East of the Sun. I'm glad you appreciate my frequent posting and are enjoying this little fic of mine. If it wasn't for your last review, I wouldn't have posted this chapter yet!

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"I can't do this. I think I'm going to be sick."

Riley rolled his eyes at his best friend as he wore down the carpet pacing back and forth while wringing his hands.

"Get a grip Ben. This should be a piece of cake for you. You don't have to steal anything, you won't be getting shot at, there's no crazy puzzle to solve, and, always a plus, there is no chance that you could end up in jail," he said as he stuck his foot out in an attempt to trip Ben.

"Nice try," Ben said, stepping over Riley's foot to continue his pacing.

"You really need to stop that. You're making me dizzy."

"I can't help it, I'm a little bit nervous if you haven't noticed."

"Believe me, I have noticed," he said, looking over at the growing piled of crumpled paper balls sitting on the floor.

"Well maybe you could try fulfilling your duties as my best man and try helping me out!" Ben said exasperatedly.

"I can't tell you what to write," Riley said, flopping down in a chair.

"Why not?" Ben asked, looking at him like a sad lost puppy.

"Because, it must come from the heart," he replied in a sage-like tone.

"Since when have you said things like that?"

"I've become sentimental and wise in my old age."

"Well since you're so wise, help me!"

"For the last time Ben, I am not writing your vows for you. You and I both know that when it comes to fancy-talk you are much better than I."

"Obviously. But right now I seem to have lost my aptitude for speech, and I have five minutes before the most important moment of my life!"

"Dude, just chill out, take a deep breath, and relax. You don't need to write down a bunch of meaningless mushy stuff on a piece of paper, just say what comes to mind when you're up there at the alter looking into the eyes of the most annoying person on the planet. A.k.a.: Abigail, your bride-to-be."

"What if nothing comes to mind and I just stand there looking like a fool?"

"That's not gonna happen. Stop doubting yourself. If you can't think of anything, then your marriage is doomed before it even starts.

"Thanks for that Riley."

"Anytime," he said, getting up and patting Ben on the shoulder.

"You know, I never thought I'd see the day when you found yourself a girl and settled down," he said, smiling proudly at his friend.

"And I never thought I'd see the day when you had a steady girlfriend and were giving _me_ advice," Ben said, grinning back.

"Things change," he stated.

"Yeah, but I can't seem to shake you…"

"Hey! That wasn't nice! Your life would fall apart without me in it."

"That's true. There would be no one constantly staying at my house and eating all my food."

"It's not my fault you have a big house and Abigail's a good cook."

"You're right. I would get awfully lonely without you. And Abigail does make a mean crème brulee."

"You got that right. I love those little dishes they get made in."

They paused their conversation to fantasize about desserts.

"Crap!" Riley said, looking down at his watch, "You better get out there, the thing's gonna start in a minute!"

Ben's eyes bugged out of his head.

"Verdammt!" Ben said under his breath as he rushed out the doors and into the church.

"Go get 'em tiger!" Riley shouted encouragingly.

"Thanks!" Ben shouted back as he hurried down the aisle.

"What would he do without me…" he muttered to himself before going to find the rest of the wedding people…

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Hope you all enjoyed the Ben-Riley interaction, I figured it was time he made an appearance. Stay tuned tomorrow for a few more updates. I am going off to furiously write! 


	19. A Serious Matter

I am sosososo sorry for taking so long to update. I really have no excuse other than I don't have the next chapter following this one ready and I wanted to do multiple postings because I know how you all love those. So here is the next chapter, it skips ahead a few months and it's kind of depressing. Unfortunately things take a slightly darker turn from the cute fluff. That's only because there is now actually plot! Without further ado...the next chapter...

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Ben and Abigail had been happily married for 3 months when Ben got a call that would soon turn their lives upside down…

Ben sank down into the leather chair in his office and ran his hand through his hair. He massaged his temples while he closed his eyes and thought about the phone call he had just finished. One question kept running through his mind: How am I going to tell Abigail?

A moment later she appeared in the doorway with a smile on her face. It quickly turned into a look of concern when she saw his distraught expression.

"What's wrong honey?" she asked, coming into his office and perching herself on his chair's armrest.

He looked up at her worried face and he knew he would have to tell her the truth…but how?

"Come here," he said, pulling her onto his lap.

Abigail's head immediately settled onto his chest and his arms wrapped around her back in a position that had become a habit for them.

He breathed in deeply, taking in the unique scent that was purely Abigail. Knowing he could only put off telling her for so long, he took another deep breath before diving right in.

"I just got off the phone with Sadusky."

"What did he want?" Abigail asked, looking up at him.

"Well, there seems to be a serious matter threatening national security that they need some assistance with."

"They being who, and the matter being what exactly?"

"The FBI and the government."

"And the serious matter threatening national security?" Abigail asked again after he didn't answer the first time.

"Terrorists," he said reluctantly.

"That's a little vague. What do they need you for that has anything to do with terrorists?"

"They're sending me to the Middle East to track down some long-lost artifact that, if found by the wrong people, will supposedly bring about the end of the world," he said, bracing himself for her reaction.

"What?" she said, the volume and pitch of her voice increasing as she continued to speak, "You can't be serious. What are they thinking? Why are they sending you? Wait, didn't they give you a choice?"

"You don't really have a choice when dealing with the FBI," he said.

"They can't force you to do it!" Abigail said, no longer in his lap but now pacing in front of him.

"Unfortunately they can," he said sadly.

"But what about me? What about us Ben? You could get hurt, or kidnapped and tortured. You could be killed," Abigail said, staring him down with frightened eyes.

"That's not going to happen Abigail. I won't let it happen," he said, standing in front of her.

"You don't know what's going to happen," she whispered, "I can't let you go without a fight. I'm coming with you."

"Absolutely not," he said forcefully, taking a step forward, "I will not voluntarily put you into a hostile situation."

"And I will not sit at home wondering if you're alive or dead!" Abigail retaliated, also taking a step forward.

The tension between them was overpowering as they stood facing each other in defensive stances with their eyes locked.

The moment quickly came to an end when Abigail's gaze faltered. She flung herself into his arms and he held her tightly to his body. She spoke no words but she didn't need to.

The silent sobs wracking her body said everything…

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So sad...I am doing my best to work my way through the next chapter. I make no promises about when it will be posted, but hopefully soon. Bare with me guys and keep reviewing! 


	20. Memorizing You

I know you probably all hate me for not posting in a ridiculously long time. I sincerely apologize. I want to give you guys my best work, and I needed to rework this chapter in order to give you that. You'll also be glad to know I have another chapter ready to go and I know where I am headed after that. So, without further delay, I give you Chapter 20! (it's not much but it'll have to do)

* * *

A few hours later, a soft knock on the bedroom door interrupted Abigail from her thoughts.

"I brought you some soup," she heard Ben's muffled voice say.

Hating herself for giving in so easily and not being able to stay mad at him for very long, she sat up on the bed and told him to come in.

He offered her a timid smile upon returning, which she returned to let him know she wasn't mad anymore.

"It's chicken soup, your favorite," he said, holding out the steaming bowl like a peace offering.

"You know," she said between spoonfuls, "it's impossible for me to stay mad at you when you do nice thing."

He smiled bashfully at her.

"Maybe that's why I do them."

"It better not be why you do them," she said in a mock-serious tone.

Setting her half-empty bowl aside, she took a good long look at her husband.

Her eyes took in everything: his worry lines, the blueness of his eyes, the way his hair was combed, the strong curve of his jaw, his slightly toned arms, his gold-toed socks, his confident stance.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his blue eyes now expressing confusion.

"Memorizing you," she stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" he asked as her eyes continued scanning him.

"So I don't forget you."

"I'll only be gone a month at the most," he said, coming to join her on the bed.

"A month's a long time," she said, looking down.

"I'm sorry Abi," Ben said softly as he draped his arm over her shoulders. "You know I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was of the utmost importance."

"I know," she replied, sighing, "I guess I shouldn't be so selfish. You're going off to save the world, and all I want is for you to stay home with me."

He leaned his head forward so that his lips were barely touching the soft skin beneath her ear.

"Believe me," he whispered huskily, "I would much rather stay here with you."

Ben's hot breath tingled her neck, and she closed her eyes as he began trailing kisses along her jaw.

The moment was interrupted when they heard the front door open.

"Hey! Anybody home?"

Ben groaned and she rolled her eyes.

"I forgot Riley was coming over," Ben said, offering her an apologetic smile.

"What are you boys going to be doing?" she asked, looking away from Ben's lustful eyes so she could maintain her self-control.

"We have to go over some stuff for the assignment," he said, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. "It shouldn't take that long, I promise. Then, Mrs. Gates, we have some unfinished business to attend to," he said, winking at her over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.

She smiled briefly, but as soon as Ben left the room she was alone with her thoughts again. She couldn't help but be worried about this assignment from the FBI. From the little she knew about it, it sounded pretty dangerous. She didn't know if she wanted to know the details. They would probably increase her already high level of fear for Ben's safety.

She threw herself onto the bed, sinking into the pillows. She closed her eyes and tried to get a little rest, but her thoughts would not leave her alone. 'What if?' scenarios invaded her mind, most of them she shook off, but there was one she could not ignore.

What if Ben dies? Just thinking that caused her pain. She wouldn't know what to do if that happened. She couldn't picture her life without him, he was her best friend, her rock, her soul mate, her everything. Without him she would be lost.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she rolled onto Ben's side of the bed and buried her face in his pillow. Breathing in his comforting scent, she finally was able to find a peaceful slumber…

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Next chapter is Ben's POV and it might also switch to Abi's. it's gonna be a lot longer than this chapter because it'll be dealing with the day Ben leaves. Don't forget to review!


	21. Last Day Together

Hello again everyone. Please do not hurt me. I know I haven't posted anything for this story in months,possibly years. I don't really have a good excuse other than laziness, lack of time, and writer's block. My laziness is unexcusable, my lack of time only a half-decent excuse, and my writer's block the only legitimate excuse I have. I am quite ashamed of myself. I've had this up on my computer forever,but I wasn't posting it because a. it wasn't finished, and b. i didn't have any chapters after it. I still don't have any chapters ready, but I felt that I owed it to those of you who have read this story to post something. If you can forgive me, I hope that you will read this chapter and hopefully enjoy it. I swear to you, on pain of death, that I will post something new by the end of this weekend at the latest.

* * *

Ben was awoken early by the sound of the rain falling in a steady downpour. Opening his eyes slowly, a small grin appeared on his face when he was greeted with the sight of his beautiful wife peacefully sleeping. Gently brushing a stray piece of hair out of Abigail's face, he carefully climbed out of their bed and made his way to the bathroom. Jumping into the shower, he let the hot water pour down his body as he reflected on the past two days.

He and Abigail had spent every moment for the past 48 hours together. They seemed to always be in contact with each other; when he was making breakfast she had wrapped her arms around him from behind and settled her head on his back, when she was cleaning the dishes he had helped her and purposely bumped his hand into hers. They hadn't spent the last two days doing things that most other people would consider "special." Instead they were both content to just be around each other and enjoy the pleasure of simple, everyday moments. Even on their last night together they had just ordered take-out and watched a movie curled up on the couch.

There was an unspoken agreement between them to avoid talking about his assignment. He knew that Abigail didn't want him to go, and he knew that if they started talking about it she would try to convince him to stay. Even though he was determined to go, he wasn't so sure he'd feel the same after watching his wife cry and plead with him.

They talked about all the things he would do when, not if, he got back. Abigail wanted to redo the room next to their bedroom. She wouldn't say specifically what she intended on turning it into, just that she had "plans" for it. He wanted to take her on a vacation, but she said that they should wait because they had just gotten back from their honeymoon.

For some reason he had the feeling that there was something on her mind that she wasn't telling him. He couldn't quite put a finger on what it was, but he was hoping she would tell him before he left.

Realizing he had spent more time in the shower than he had originally planned, he quickly got out, dried off, and put on some clothes. Finding Abigail still asleep, he knelt down beside the bed so he could kiss her softly.

He smiled when she groaned and then mumbled something incoherent.

"Time to wake up beautiful," he whispered, kissing her again.

"Mmmm…I don't think I'll ever get tired of waking up to that," Abigail whispered groggily as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

He didn't reply. Instead he remained kneeling beside the bed staring down at his wife, a look of deep thought on his face.

"Penny for your thoughts," Abigail said, yawning and placing her hand on his cheek.

"Sorry," he said, smiling at her. "I just zoned out for a second."

He knew that she saw through his lame excuse, but she didn't press him further and he was thankful for that.

"So what would my darling wife like for breakfast this morning?" he said, changing the subject as he scooped her up into his arms and made his way for the door.

Abigail's laughter rang out as she tried to get him to put her down.

"You are not making me breakfast again my dear husband. _I_ should be making breakfast for _you_ today," Abigail said as he reached the top of the stairs.

"No. I want to do this for you. I need to do this for you," he said when they got to the bottom of the stairs.

He felt her arms tighten their grip around him, and he looked down to find that Abigail had settled her head in the crook of his arm.

"Ok," she said, smiling tenderly up at him.

He kissed her lightly on her nose and then put her down carefully before walking into the kitchen…

* * *

So there was supposed to be more to this chapter, but I haven't written it yet...Not to worry! I am getting on that right now, so please review and I will not stop writing until I have another chapter for you! (that kind of rhymed...)


	22. Promise Me

This is a really short chapter, but I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things and to get this story going again.

_

* * *

_

_Three hours later…_

Abigail and Ben were lying together on the couch in their living room. Riley was busy making some last-minute adjustments to his tech gear in Ben's office. Ben was absentmindedly flipping through a book filled with information on the Middle East. Abigail was listening to Ben's steady heartbeat as her head lay on his chest.

"Ben?" Abigail said quietly as she looked up at him.

Ben could tell by the sound of her voice that she wanted to have a serious discussion, so he closed his book and placed it on the floor before looking down at her.

"Yes dear?" he replied, a soft smile gracing his face.

She smiled briefly back, but her serious expression quickly returned.

"Can you promise me something?" she said, speaking even softer.

He nodded as he pulled her closer.

"Promise me…" she began in a choked whisper before she had to pause and take a deep breath.

He ran his hand up and down her back in an attempt to soothe her. He hated to see her like this. He hated knowing that his actions were causing her this pain. He hated that he had to leave her.

After a few moments she continued.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid, okay?"

"I promise," he whispered, kissing her softly as he held back a laugh.

"I mean it Benjamin Franklin Gates. You're always being the noble hero. I know that you can't help yourself, but please, just this once, _don't be the hero_. Just do what you have to do and then come home."

How could he deny her wishes when she was looking at him like that? When he knew that it was his fault they were in this situation? When he knew that if anything happened to him he would never forgive himself for leaving her alone? And so he lied to her, because he, Benjamin Franklin Gates, would _always_ be the hero whether he wanted to or not.

"Ok Abi. I promise."

She smiled a real, full smile at him, and he smiled back, doing his best to ignore the gnawing feeling of dread in his stomach…

* * *

Oooo...that was an unintentionally foreboding ending...please review!!! I think I'm going to jump ahead in time for the next chapter so that we can finally get to the good part! Unless you want a chapter that is actually about Ben leaving...


	23. Gone

NOTE: I forgot the very first line of this chapter, which is kind of important. Other than that nothing is changed.

I am officially back with a vengeance. Hopefully this new-found creative spark will keep going. I really like how this chapter turned out. It's very emotional and very intense. And it's another Riley chapter! But not a happy one...

To my dear reviewer Allie: I would've loved to give you a nice little chapter about Ben's departure, but the muse struck me and I had to run with it. So you get this instead. I hope you like it!

Oh, the italics are flashbacks! And I based some of the dialogue off of a part of the movie Pearl Harbor

* * *

_One month later..._

The sounds of explosions and gunshots filled the air as Riley cautiously darted through the rubble of what had been the city of Shaak Ti. He should have known that one of these days he and Ben were going to get themselves into a mess that they couldn't get out of. It seemed like their luck had finally run out.

He crouched behind the remains of a blown-up car to catch his breath. Squinting his eyes, he tried desperately to see through all of the dust and smoke that had risen into the air. Where was Ben? He had to find him. He had made a promise and he wasn't about to break it…

_He had stayed up into the early hours of the morning modifying some of the gadgets that the FBI had given them to use on their mission. He laughed to himself. Every time someone referred to "their mission," he couldn't help but laugh at the image of him and Ben as spies. Technically they weren't really spies, but that's what he thought of. _

_Yawning, he sat up in his chair and stretched, trying to get the knots out of his back. You would think that he'd be immune to the pains caused by hunching over gadgets late into the night, but he had found that sometime during the last few years he had gotten old. Well, at least older than when he had been in college and could go without sleep for days. _

_He blamed this on Ben. It was impossible to live through two treasure hunts and the lifestyle that came with them and not feel old and tired. _

_Rubbing his eyes to keep them from closing, he returned his focus to the object before him. He was about to make the final adjustment to it when someone said his name. He was so startled that he nearly fell out of his chair when he swung around to see whoever it was that had disturbed him._

_He turned around to find Abigail standing in the doorway to Ben's study, an amused look on her face._

"_Crikey, Abigail! Don't scare me like that," he said, sighing as he sank back into his chair._

"_Sorry Riley," she said, still smiling. "Why are you so jumpy anyways?"_

"_Um…I don't know. I guess I was just really concentrated on fixing this stuff so I was off in my own little world."_

_To be honest, he had been feeling jumpy ever since Ben had told him about the mission (he didn't laugh to himself this time). For some reason he just felt anxious about it. He had pushed this feeling aside however, because Ben had seemed so confident that everything would go fine. _

_Abigail walked over to the desk to examine what he had been working on. _

"_Impressive," she commented._

"_Thanks," he replied, shrugging. There was something in her voice that sounded off. And she had one of those looks on her face…_

"_Why are you awake Abigail? Is something up?"_

_If she was going to spill her guts to him, he wanted to cut right to the chase (no pun intended). _

_She looked away from him and sighed. He could tell that his night was about to get a lot longer._

"_Could you do me a favor Riley?"_

"_Yeah, sure," he replied. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all._

"_Can you look out for Ben?"_

"_Don't I always?"_

"_Yes, but I need you to do an extra good job this time. You know how he is Riley. He doesn't always think before he acts. He thinks that he's invincible and that he always has to save the day. I can't lose him Riley. Especially not now…"_

Riley's eyes finally landed on Ben. He was slumped against a wall. He looked unconscious.

He swore under his breath as he prepared himself to make a mad dash to Ben. He took a deep breath and sprinted as fast as he could, diving behind the wall just as something blew up in the place he had occupied a second ago.

He didn't pause to catch his breath or to reflect on his near-death experience. Instead he rushed to Ben's body, hoping that he was still alive. He couldn't tell what exactly had happened, but it looked like Ben had been beaten up pretty badly and then shot multiple times. Whatever had happened, there was a lot of blood.

Abigail was going to kill him…

_There was an extreme urgency in her voice that Riley had never heard before. This worried him._

"_What's going on Abi?"_

_She was still turned away from him._

_He almost didn't hear what she said next._

"_Riley, I'm pregnant."_

_He sat there staring at her with his mouth hanging open for a good five minutes. He had not been expecting that one. Not at all._

"_Does…does Ben…know about…this?" he managed to splutter._

_Abigail looked away from him again._

"_I didn't even know until the day he got the call from Sadusky…and then all this happened. I haven't told Ben. I don't want him to know. Not yet at least. All he needs to think about is how to do this mission and get back alive. I need you to take care of Ben and keep him alive. If anything happens to him Riley…I…I don't know…I can't…I won't be able to go on without him."_

_He stood slowly and walked over to Abigail. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he looked her in the eye and made her a promise that he swore to himself he'd never break._

"_I'll do whatever it takes to get Ben home alive…"_

He had tried slapping Ben to wake him up, but that hadn't worked. So now he was on his third attempt at CPR and Ben was still unresponsive.

"Come on Ben," he shouted, shaking his best friend's body, "wake up!"

Still nothing.

He hung is head as the tears he had been holding back started to fall. Then he heard a cough.

He looked back up and, to his great relief, saw Ben slowly open his eyes.

"You gave me quite a scare there Benny-boy," he said, grinning and not caring that there were tears on his face.

Ben attempted a smile but ended up grimacing in pain.

"Easy does it there champ," he said as he tried to help Ben sit up.

Ben broke into a fit of coughs, and he did his best to ignore the spots of blood that appeared on Ben's sleeve.

"Deep breaths, deep breaths," he said calmingly. It killed him to see Ben like this. He looked around, hoping that there was somebody who could help Ben or at least get them to safety.

There wasn't.

Suddenly, Ben grabbed tightly onto his arm.

"Riley," he wheezed. "Tell Abi…tell her I…love…"

Another fit of coughs came upon Ben. Each one sounded worse than the one before. He didn't know what to do. This couldn't be happening. Not to Ben, not now.

"Don't talk like that," he said frantically. "You are not going to die Ben. Do you hear me? You can't die. You know why? Because you, my friend, are going to be a father. You're going to be a daddy Ben! I wasn't supposed to tell you. Abi made me promise not to. But I'm terrible at keeping secrets. So you can't die Ben. You can't. I won't let you. You're going to be a father."

Riley watched as a sad, pained smile came onto Ben's face.

"No," Ben whispered, "you are."

This time he didn't even try to stop the tears. He watched in horror as Ben's eyes started to flutter close.

"No! No! Ben! You can't do this! You can't leave Abigail! Come on Ben! You can fight this, I know you can! Don't give in Ben! Don't…don't…don't leave me…"

But there was nothing he could do.

"I'm…sorry…" Ben rasped, and then he fell limp in Riley's arms.

"No!" Riley screamed, rocking back and forth as he held Ben in his arms. He began to sob uncontrollably, no longer caring if he lived or died.

Ben was gone…

* * *

So incredibly sad...probably the most emotional chapter I've written. And my first character death I think...though that's not really something to celebrate...Anyways, leave a review and let me know what you think of it...


	24. Midnight Phone Call

I just keeping cranking these out...enjoy it while it lasts.

Now I know those of you that read the last chapter are probably really angry at me right now. I apologize but Ben's death was necessary for the story. I hope that you will forgive me long enough to read this chapter...it's really good...

* * *

Riiiiiing, Riiiiiiiiiing, Riiiiiiiing

Abigail shot up in bed and flailed around blindly for her cell phone.

_Riiiiiiing, Riiiiiing, Riii-_

She finally grabbed it off of her nightstand and flipped it open hurriedly.

"Hello? Ben?" she whispered anxiously into the phone.

"No, it's Sadusky. Sorry to call you at this hour Mrs. Gates, but-"

"Where's Ben? I haven't heard from him for a week," Abigail interrupted.

"That's why I'm calling. There's been a…situation…"

Her heart stopped.

"What kind of situation?" she asked, her voice trembling as she pulled her blankets closer.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Gates but I can't tell you that right now. There is a car waiting for you outside your house that will take you to where you need to go. Please get in the car as soon as you can, no questions asked. This is an urgent matter, and your cooperation is necessary."

_Click_.

Sadusky hung up before she could even reply.

It took a moment for his words to sink in, but then they did and she leapt out of bed. She ran down the stairs and sprinted for the front door, not even slowing as she grabbed her jacket and purse. She flung the front door open, not bothering to lock it behind her, and dashed down the front steps. Just as Sadusky had said, there was a non-descript, black car waiting for her. There was even an FBI agent holding open the back door for her. She was moving so fast that she almost fell into the car, but the agent caught her and slid in behind her, slamming the door.

The agent wasn't even all the way in the car when the engine revved and the car sped down the driveway at a speed that was both illegal and unsafe.

She couldn't see anything through the heavily tinted windows, so she decided to just focus on trying to breathe. It was a difficult task because possible scenarios about what was going on kept running through her mind, and none of them were good.

She felt like she was suffocating and everything was closing in on her: She didn't know where she was going, she didn't know what was going on, she hadn't heard from Ben or Riley in days, Ben's parents were out of the country…she had never felt so alone. And to top it all off, she was pregnant.

Immediately her hand went protectively to her stomach. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of the life her and Ben could have together. It seemed like that life was nothing but a dream now, and it was slowly fading away.

She was jerked, literally, from her depressing thoughts as the car screeched to a stop. The agent who had been sitting in the back with her got out of the car and gestured for her to follow him. She slid across the back seat and stepped out of the car, blinking her eyes against the harsh fluorescent lights of what seemed to be a parking garage.

The agent was already half way to an elevator, so she quickly jogged after him.

"Where are we?" she asked as they waited for the elevator.

The agent didn't reply and kept his eyes trained straight ahead.

She sighed in defeat, not having the energy to demand an answer. Thankfully the elevator arrived quickly, and she stepped in after the agent who pressed the button for Floor 1. There were inconveniently no maps in the elevator to indicate where or what Floor 1 was.

It seemed like the elevator was barely moving as they descended. She began to tap her foot, a nervous habit she had been indulging in more and more as of late. Finally, after what seemed like the longest elevator ride ever, the doors slid open to reveal the trauma center of the George Washington University Hospital.

She nearly fainted.

If they were at a hospital, in the trauma center, that could only mean one thing. And it wasn't good. She took a deep breath to calm herself and slowly stepped out of the elevator.

It was eerily quiet, but then again it was probably 2 in the morning. The agent led her to a row of those terrible plastic hospital chairs and told her to have a seat and wait there. She did as she was told, sitting with her head tilted back against the wall and her eyes closed.

She sat up when she heard the sound of footsteps echoing in the hall. Sadusky was walking briskly toward her, a grim look on his face. She braced herself for the worst.

"Good evening Mrs. Gates," he said, sitting down next to her.

"Call me Abigail please," she whispered.

"Ok Abigail. I'm sure you have plenty of questions, but I think it would be better if I just told you the basics right now."

She nodded as she stared blankly at the wall across from her. She felt numb. Sadusky's voice sounded so far away. Only snippets of what he was saying reached her ears.

"Complications…mission…terrorists…attacked…Ben…Riley…barely…alive…"

She snapped back to reality.

"They're alive?" she choked out, more tears springing to her eyes.

"Yes, they are. Riley is fine, save for a few scrapes, bruises, and broken bones."

"And Ben…what about Ben?" she asked anxiously. He had to be ok. He had to.

"Well…" Sadusky sighed, "Ben is in surgery right now. He's been in there for a few hours already. He sustained multiple gun shot wounds and lacerations. He's lost a lot of blood. But the important thing is that he is alive."

These words cut through her like a knife. If she hadn't been sitting down she would have collapsed. All she could picture was Ben lying on the ground wounded. She felt like throwing up.

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Ben was alive. That was good. They were working on him in surgery. That was good too. He would be ok. She couldn't think otherwise.

Just then the silence of the hospital was disrupted by a commotion occurring near the end of the hall. A familiar voice rang out.

"Get out of my way! Hey! Watch it! I've got a broken leg! Let go of me you punks! Don't make me use the Vulcan death grip! Abigail are you out there? Tell these guys to let me go!"

"Riley!" she shouted, rushing down the hall to him.

As she neared, the FBI agents released Riley who started to hobble toward her on his crutches. He nearly fell flat on his face, but she grabbed his shoulders to steady him just in time.

"Still getting used to them," he said embarrassedly.

"Yeah you might want to take it a little slower next time," she said as she examined him. He had a neon green cast on his right leg, a splint on his left pinky, and a few bandages scattered across his face.

"I'm still in one piece Mom, there's no need to make a fuss," Riley protested as she wrapped him in a hug.

She started to laugh, but suddenly she couldn't control her pain any longer and she began to sob.

"Hey, hey, Abi, it's gonna be ok. Ben's gonna be fine alright?" Riley said as he awkwardly put his arms around her while trying to keep himself propped up on his crutches.

She nodded into Riley's shoulder and composed herself before letting him go.

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, "I'm a mess. And I got your shirt wet. I know you hate that."

"It's ok," he said softly, "I don't mind. Why don't we sit down?"

"Good idea. Do you think you can make it without tripping over yourself?"

Riley rolled his eyes at her and started off down the hall…

* * *

HA! I got you all! Unless you figured out that I was messing with you. Ben IS alive...for now...I guess you'll have to read the next chapter to find out! and make sure you review!


	25. News

Once again, I am _really_ _really _sorry for the lack of updates. I struggled through this chapter but I finally found a way to wrap it up. I intend to move the story on and finish it within 5-10 chapters, so enjoy this chapter and get ready for the next one!

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_Two hours later…_

Abigail, Riley, and Sadusky were all sitting in the hospital hall way in varying stages of sleep. Riley was sprawled out in his chair, out cold and snoring like an animal. Sadusky had been fighting off sleep for the past hour, his eyes fluttering open and close. And Abigail…she was wide awake.

How could she sleep at a time like this? They had still heard nothing from the doctors, and she doubted she could even sleep if she tried.

Just then the doors at the end of the hall swung open and a tired-looking doctor stepped out, pulling off his mask as he walked toward them.

Sadusky immediately sat up, blinking the sleep from his eyes. She tapped Riley lightly on the shoulder and he sprung up out of his chair.

"What is it? What's going on?" he exclaimed as he looked around bewildered.

She just pointed at the doctor who was approaching them. Riley quieted and sat down immediately, a nervous look on his face.

Her heart pounded as the doctor got closer and closer. Her palms were sweating. She tightly gripped Riley's arm.

The doctor finally reached them. She tried to read his expression, but she couldn't tell if she was confusing his tiredness for bad news.

The doctor cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Mrs. Gates, Mr. Poole, Mr. Sadusky, I'm sorry it took so long for me to come out here. We had a lot of work to do and it couldn't be interrupted. Mr. Gates is out of surgery for now, but we're going to need to go back in. There were several bullets we had to remove, and he suffered a lot of external and internal damage. He is in the ICU right now, and we are closely monitoring him to see how his body reacts to the blood transfusions and other work that we've done. He is still unconscious, so I don't want to make any predictions about how things will turn out. His chances of survival will increase if he makes it through the rest of this night. Unfortunately I can't let you see him because he isn't stable enough yet. However, I promise that I will keep you posted on his condition and how we are proceeding with treatment. And I'll try to find you a room and some spare cots."

"Thank you Doctor Shepherd," Sadusky said, standing and shaking the doctor's hand.

Abigail closed her eyes and let out the breath she had been holding. Ben was still alive. All he had to do was make it through the night.

"I'm going to try and find some coffee. Do you two want any?" Sadusky asked quietly.

"Yes! Please!" Riley responded enthusiastically.

"No thanks," she said, offering Sadusky a small smile, "I think I'll try to get some rest."

Riley looked at her strangely as Sadusky walked away.

"What?" she asked as she shifted in her chair.

"You just turned down coffee. You never turn down coffee."

"I'm _pregnant_ Riley," she replied exasperatedly, "I can't drink coffee."

"Ohhhhh…right. I forgot about that…"

Riley suddenly got quiet. She just rolled her eyes and then went back to finding a more comfortable position to sleep in. Her hope to get some rest was short lived however, because Riley started talking again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Riley," she said, sighing.

"Ok. So, hypothetically speaking, on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being not angry at all and 10 being infuriated beyond belief, what number would you be if I told you that Ben found out about the…uh…baby situation?"

Abigail's eyes shot open.

"You _told_ him?!?" she shouted, jumping out of her chair. Immediately she started pacing. "Riley! I explicitly told you to _not_ tell Ben! What is wrong with you? What were you thinking?"

Riley cowered in fear as Abigail started muttering to herself. Suddenly she halted and spun toward him.

"When you told him…what did he say? What did he do?"

Riley looked down and didn't answer for a moment.

"Well…" he began softly. "Right after I told him, he died. At least I thought he had died. I guess he was just unconscious. I don't really remember what happened. Everything was a blur after that…"

Abigail thought Riley had finished because he got quiet again, but he took a deep breath and continued on, looking up pleadingly at Abigail.

"I only told him because I thought it might help. It would give him something to fight for. And I thought he deserved to know…in case you never got the chance to tell him. I know I promised I wouldn't tell, but I couldn't let Ben die not knowing that he was finally going to have the life he always wanted. I'm sorry…"

Tears immediately sprang to Abigail's eyes as she pictured Riley pleading with Ben to stay alive. She had selfishly forgotten that losing Ben would affect Riley just as much as it would affect her.

"Oh Riley," she whispered, immediately pulling him into an embrace. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Riley replied, his voice muffled by her shoulder.

Abigail sighed tiredly as she released Riley and slumped down into a chair.

"It's not ok Riley. Nothing is ok. I'm pregnant, you're injured, Ben could die at any moment-"

"Hey! Don't talk like that," Riley interrupted as he sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her. "Everything is going to be fine. We both know that Ben's a fighter. He'll make it through this. Ok?"

Abigail nodded slowly.

"I hope you're right Riley…"

She just wanted this nightmare to be over…

* * *

Ok so that wasn't my best chapter, but now we can move on and get to some good stuff! (or bad stuff depending on what I do to Ben...)

Please review if you would be so kind! I will do my best to have a chapter up tomorrow.


	26. Don't Leave Me

This chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones have been, but I think it gets the job done.

Enjoy.

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Abigail woke with a start.

She blinked her eyes rapidly and sat up, trying to figure out where she was.

Sunlight was streaming in through the small window opposite her.

She did not remember falling asleep out in the hallway, and she did not remember being brought into this room and put onto this cot.

However she did remember where she was, and she certainly had not forgotten why she was here.

She recalled the events of the last few hours quite vividly.

At that moment her brain finally registered a very important fact: there was sunlight coming in from the window. Not early-morning sunlight; late-afternoon sunlight. That meant she had slept more than a few hours. It also meant that something could have happened to Ben.

Her pulse quickened as she immediately got up from the cot and burst out into the hallway. She looked to the left and right but saw no one. In her panicked state she couldn't even tell if this was the hallway she was sitting in last night.

Luckily there was a nurse sitting at a desk in front of her who seemed to know what she was looking for.

"Excuse me? Mrs. Gates? Your husband is up one floor in the ICU. Room 47 I believe."

"Thank you," Abigail replied, smiling appreciatively as she headed for the elevator.

A few moments later she found herself standing outside Room 47. It definitely was Ben's room; there were two FBI bodyguards standing outside of it. She wasn't quite sure why they needed to be here, but she wasn't going to question it.

The guards moved aside and she slowly opened the door.

The sounds of beeping hospital machines greeted her ears as she stepped into the dimly lit room. The first thing she saw was Riley, slumped in a chair on the far side of the room, snoring lightly.

The next thing she noticed was Ben. Tears pricked her eyes as she stepped closer and discovered the condition he was in. His skin was ghostly pale and he looked considerably thinner since the last time she had seen him. There were bandages wrapped around his head and chest. His right arm was in a sling, and his left leg was in a cast that extended all the way to his knee. He was propped up slightly and there were multiple tubes and IVs going into his body. Despite all this he appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She couldn't tell if he was unconscious still or just heavily drugged.

After taking in the current state of her husband, Abigail pulled a chair up next to his bed and sat beside him. She was afraid to touch any part of him that was bandaged or IVed, so she gently placed her hand over his left hand.

She was overcome with emotions as she sat there, surrounded by the machines that were keeping Ben alive. Her tears poured down her face as she silently cried. She grasped Ben's hand tightly, clinging to it like a lifeline. He was her entire world. She couldn't lose him. She would fall apart without him.

"Don't leave me Ben," Abigail whispered brokenly as she bowed her head and succumbed to her tears…

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So sad... :(

I'd like to take a moment to give a big thanks to those of you that have stuck with this story and keep reading and reviewing it. I really appreciate your patience with me. I know that I have been very bad with updating, but you guys still take the time to drop me words of encouragement and praise! Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy the next few chapters as they will most likely be the last ones for this story :(


	27. A Plea

This is for daisyduke80. Thanks for giving me a good idea! I hope you enjoy this short, but important, chapter.

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One week later…

Riley slowly made his way down the hall and toward Ben's room. He was getting better at maneuvering around on his crutches, but he didn't want to take any chances. One broken leg was enough for him.

It was the middle of the night so there was no one around. He had finally convinced Abigail to go back downstairs and get some rest. Ben's parents had arrived six days ago, and they were currently keeping an eye Abigail.

Riley stopped as he reached Ben's room. With a little effort he managed to get the door open without falling over. He quietly crutched (AN: not sure if that's a word but it is now) his way over to Ben's bed and ungracefully plopped down into a chair.

He hadn't had a moment alone with Ben since the first morning they were here; he had been so exhausted then that he had fallen asleep within moments of arriving in the room. He really needed to talk to Ben. Even though he couldn't respond, the doctors said that Ben could probably hear whoever talked to him.

Feeling heartbroken and helpless after watching Abigail keep a constant vigil by Ben's bedside for the past week, Riley felt that he had to do something, _anything_, to bring Ben back.

"Hey Ben," he began quietly, feeling slightly weird talking to his unconscious friend. "I don't know if you can hear me or understand me, but I hope that some of what I say gets through to you. We're all really worried about you. Especially Abigail. She's a mess Ben. She needs you. Well, we all need you, but she needs you the most. She's going to have your _baby_. You're gonna have a kid for goodness sake! And Abi may be strong enough to raise the kid alone, but she shouldn't have to do that. The kid needs a dad, and I can't be that Ben. I can be the cool uncle who spoils his nephew, or niece, but you have to be the dad. Speaking of dads, what about your dad Ben? And your mom? They're here you know. And, just between you and me, I think they're gonna get back together real soon. I know they've been dating for awhile now, but I think your dad's gonna make the move. You don't wanna miss that Ben. And of course there's me too. I need you just as much as everyone else. I mean, you're like the older brother I never had…you're the family I never had…"

Riley paused for a moment.

"Damn…I didn't want to cry. Well, at least you didn't see that. I'd never hear the end of it. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, you gotta make it through this Ben. There are too many people who love you and need you and would miss you terribly if you…you know. So could you please try a little harder to get better? Any sign of improvement would be nice…" he trailed off as he looked expectantly at Ben, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing did.

"I guess that's all I've got to say…" Riley said, sighing dejectedly as he slowly stood and began to leave the room.

Just as he reached the door, some of the machines attached to Ben started beeping at slightly faster rates.

Riley froze, afraid that something bad had happened. But then…

"Riley?"

He spun around as fast as he could on his crutches to find Ben struggling to sit up. He immediately made his way back over to his friend.

"Ben! You're awake! You need to take it easy pal. Ok?"

Ben nodded and ended his attempt to sit up. He smiled tiredly up at Riley.

"Hey," he croaked out.

"Hey yourself," Riley replied, grinning happily. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Ben started to laugh but ended up coughing.

"Crap," Riley said under his breath. "Easy does it Ben. I'm gonna go get the doctors. You stay right here. Don't go back to sleep or die or anything. I'll be right back."

Ben flashed Riley a thumbs-up as his coughing died down.

Riley crutched speedily out of the room, looking back at Ben when he reached the hallway.

He was still awake and alive. Riley couldn't have been happier.

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OMG!!!!!!!!! BEN LIVES!

I hope you all enjoyed that. It's my Holiday/New Year's gift to you. I promise that Ben is alive and will stay alive. I also promise that the next few chapters will be very fluffy and happy! yay! So please review and I'll get the next chapter up ASAP!


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